


Matched

by potentiality_26



Category: Thorne (TV)
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 04:04:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13918992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potentiality_26/pseuds/potentiality_26
Summary: The problem, Phil knew, was that he still loved Tom- and, worse yet, he still liked him.  He still laughed when Tom did something stupid like come to work wearing mismatched shoes, and he still wanted to help him after he was finished laughing.Sequel toMismatched.  Fixing a mistake.





	Matched

**Author's Note:**

> A million years later, here's the requested sequel to Mismatched.
> 
> Not Brit-picked.

“Thanks for this,” Tom said. 

“You said that already,” Phil replied.  "More than once."  Lately Tom had been giving him a lot of that kicked puppy look- the one that always made Phil feel like the bad guy for still not being ready to completely forgive Tom.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t something he could just decide, so they invariably wound up either just hurting each other more, or having conversations like this, where so far no old wounds had been opened back up, but they walked delicately around each other nevertheless, circling, sniffing the air for any hint of blood. 

The problem, Phil knew, was that he still loved Tom- and, worse yet, he still liked him.  He still laughed when Tom did something stupid like come to work wearing mismatched shoes, and he still wanted to help him after he was finished laughing.  Everything that had happened during the Calvert case- maybe everything that had ever happened, since the very first day they met- would be easier if that wasn’t true.  But unfortunately loving Tom Thorne was a little like believing in gravity- he could say that he didn’t all he liked, but it would still pull him crashing back down to earth eventually. 

And every once in a while- even now- there were days when he didn’t mind that at all. 

Tom’s new flat was still unfamiliar to him, so Phil lingered by the door, just watching as Tom slipped off one shoe and went in search of another.  “Need help?” Phil asked.

Tom shot him a look that was a little difficult to read, a sort of yearning thing that made Phil’s gut feel tight.  He would still take it over the kicked puppy look any day of the week, though.  “Seems like.”

His tone was... complicated.  Phil couldn't pick up much from it either, except that Tom meant with more than just his shoes.  Except that Tom was still trying.  Phil was afraid sometimes that he would stop.  That when Phil was finally done being angry there wouldn’t be anyone there to not be angry at.  “Well, get that black one back on and find the other.  It always looked better than the brown.”

“Sure Phil.”  Tom smiled like he was kidding, but he did as Phil said.  When he was done, Phil caught him by the arm, checking his collar and smoothing the line of his lapel.

“That’s better,” he said.  “I like you looking presentable.”

Another law of the universe, that one.  And maybe tomorrow Phil would be angry again- but today Tom swallowed, and smiled, and Phil smiled back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [tumblr](http://potentiality-26.tumblr.com/).


End file.
